The thread perhaps assumes that we don’t know what we want. I first draw a list of the things I value - itinerary, hours in port, cleanliness, safety, security and graciousness, ambiance then I start looking at price. DH often says it “costs what it costs, just buy what we want”
I drink very little so I don’t want to pay for that, I live in a large city and frequently travel to other large cities and have access to fine dining and excellent entertainment venues and don’t really expect that quality on a cruise. And finally I don’t want to be on a crowded, large noisy ship. It is not about the money spent.
my ultimate question is where are you going and for how long?
I agree about methods of booking but similarly what I value in an agent isn’t driven by the dollar, it is driven by the service and expertise